New Jersey voters do not believe Gov. Christopher Christie's claim that he would beat President
Barack Obama in a 2012 White House run and back the president over the governor 52 - 39
percent, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. President Obama also tops
Gov. Christie in job approval and likeability.

Obama gets a 51 - 45 percent job approval. Garden State voters like Obama more than
they like his policies. Given four options:

46 percent like Obama as a person and like most of his policies;

29 percent like him as a person but dislike his policies;

2 percent dislike him as a person, but like his policies;

20 percent dislike him and his policies.
Christie does not do as well:

38 percent like Christie as a person and like most of his policies;

15 percent like him as a person but dislike his policies;

8 percent dislike him as a person, but like his policies;

34 percent dislike him and his policies.

"Forget the White House for now, Gov. Christopher Christie says, and New Jerseyans
pretty much agree with him as they back President Barack Obama by a hefty margin," said
Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

"Voters don't believe Gov. Christie 60 - 33 percent when he says he can beat President
Obama. They do believe Christie 53 - 41 percent when he says he's not running," Carroll added.

"How about at home in Trenton? Christie's job approval numbers are only narrowly
positive. And there's a real gender split over this 'Jersey guy' governor: Men like him a lot;
women don't," Carroll added.

Other Approval Ratings

Gov. Christie has a higher approval rating than other elected officials:

Voters disapprove 53 - 26 percent of the job the Assembly is doing and disapprove
55 - 30 percent of the State Senate, the highest disapproval ratings ever for both bodies.

"New Jerseyans don't know - and don't much approve of - their Legislature and its
leaders," Carroll said. "Sen. Robert Menendez has started cranking up for his 2012 re-election
campaign and it's not too soon. His job approval is a low split."

"Bully," "arrogant," "good," "aggressive" are among words offered when voters are
asked, with no suggestions given, to describe Gov. Christie in one word. Answers include:

Bully - offered by 140 voters

Arrogant - offered 41 times

Good - 41

Aggressive - 39

Strong - 35

Tough - 34

Determined - 30

Honest/Honesty - 28

Excellent - 27

Bold - 16

Courageous/Courage - 16

Trying - 15

Effective - 13

Forceful - 12

"Quinnipiac University polls last year found New Jersey voters trying to decide whether
their new governor was a bully or an effective leader," Carroll said. In a June 17, 2010, survey,
44 percent called him a leader and 43 percent called him a bully.

From April 12 - 18, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,532 registered voters with a margin
of error of +/- 2.5 percentage points. Live interviewers call land lines and cell phones.

The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public
opinion surveys in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio and the
nation as a public service and for research.
For more data or RSS feed- http://www.quinnipiac.edu/polling.xml, call (203) 582-5201, or
follow us on Twitter.

1. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Christopher Christie is handling his
job as Governor?

TREND: In general, how satisfied are you with the way things are going in
New Jersey today? Are you very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, somewhat
dissatisfied, or very dissatisfied? (*High also 71% Feb 1999)

10. What one word best describes your impression of Christopher Christie?
NOTE: Based on registered voters: Figures shows the number of respondents who
offered each response: these numbers are not percentages. This table reports
only those words that were mentioned at least five times.

11. Which one of the following statements comes closest to the way you feel
about Christopher Christie:
A) I like Christopher Christie as a person and I also like most of his policies
B) I like Christopher Christie as a person but I don't like most of his policies
C) I don't like Christopher Christie as a person but I do like most of his
policies
D) I don't like Christopher Christie as a person and I also don't like most of
his policies

TREND: Which one of the following statements comes closest to the way you feel
about Christopher Christie
A) I like Christopher Christie as a person and I also like most of his policies
B) I like Christopher Christie as a person but I don't like most of his policies
C) I don't like Christopher Christie as a person but I do like most of his
policies
D) I don't like Christopher Christie as a person and I also don't like most of
his policies?

12. Which one of the following statements comes closest to the way you feel
about Barack Obama:
A) I like Barack Obama as a person and I also like most of his policies
B) I like Barack Obama as a person but I don't like most of his policies
C) I don't like Barack Obama as a person but I do like most of his policies
D) I don't like Barack Obama as a person and I also don't like most of his
policies

13. Looking ahead to the 2012 election for President...
If the 2012 election for President were being held today, and the candidates
were Barack Obama the Democrat and Christopher Christie the Republican, for whom
would you vote?